May 26, 2004
Education Week, Vol. 23, Issue 38
Curriculum
Ga. Schools Use G-8 Summit As Teaching Tool
With eight world leaders gathering on Sea Island, Ga., early next month for the G-8 economic summit, educators in the coastal counties of the state have had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teach about different cultures and the United States’ role in international affairs.
Federal
Nev. Teacher Claims Rosters Altered to Meet ‘No Child’ Law
A high school teacher in Zephyr Cove, Nev., has accused his principal of altering school records in order meet a provision of the No Child Left Behind Act.
School & District Management
Miami-Dade Snares Sought-After Leader
After a very public courting by several large school systems, Rudolph F. Crew signed a contract last week to head the Miami-Dade County schools, a deal that will make him one of the highest-paid superintendents in the country.
Federal
Budget Blueprint Would Boost Title I Aid
The federal budget plan that emerged from House-Senate negotiations last week assumes billion-dollar spending increases for the two biggest K-12 programs next year, just as President Bush requested.
Education
Federal File
Winning a national science fair—and possibly saving the nation from terrorists— is a twofer to be proud of.
Standards
Government Offers Guidance On Standards and Testing
New guidelines released by the Department of Education outline what states must do to comply with the requirements on standards and testing under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Education
State Journal
Rallying for Aid
South Carolina leaders may no longer be able to take a pass on the school funding debate that’s gaining momentum in their state.
Equity & Diversity
‘Robin Hood’ Still Alive After Texas Special Session
Texas leaders are united in wanting to scrap the state’s "Robin Hood" school finance scheme—they just can’t agree on what will replace it.
Education
News in Brief: A State Capitals Roundup
- Kansas Supreme Court Issues Stay in Aid Ruling
- Colo. Coalition Urges Action on Closing Achievement Gaps
- Wyoming Construction Case is Sent Back to Lower Court
- Special Ed. Gaps and Gains Identified in New York State
- Another Democrat to Lead California State School Board
- Indiana Governor Names Early-Learning Commission
Law & Courts
Wrestling Coaches Lose Appeal Over Ed. Dept.’s Title IX Rules
A lawsuit by a college wrestling coaches’ group aimed at restoring athletic opportunities for male students has been pinned to the mat by a federal appeals court.
School & District Management
NRC Urges Multiple Studies For Math Curricula
At least four different types of studies need to be conducted on a mathematics curriculum before it can be deemed effective, asserts a report released last week by the National Research Council.
Assessment
Students, Test-Prep Firms Get A Jump on Revised SAT
The first administration of the new SAT is nearly a year away, but it is already causing sweaty palms among the college-bound set and a fresh round of conflict between one test-preparation company and the exam’s owner. Includes a table, "Sharpen Those No. 2 Pencils."
Equity & Diversity
Louisiana District ‘Color Codes’ Teacher Job Openings
The St. John the Baptist Parish public school district in Louisiana has instituted a system to "color code" teaching positions to track the transfer of teachers from one school to another.
Assessment
User-Friendly Reports On Student Test Scores Help Guide Instruction
Pennsylvania officials were expected this week to unveil the designs for new reports on student and school test performance that are customized to meet the needs of parents, teachers, and school leaders, as well as provide a direct link to instruction.
School Choice & Charters
Two New National Groups To Push for Voucher Programs
On a date chosen for its symbolism, veteran voucher litigator Clint Bolick last week announced the launch of two national organizations that will press for more publicly financed programs that help parents pay for private schooling.
Law & Courts
Wis. Review Invites ‘No Child’ Lawsuit
Wisconsin’s attorney general has added new steam to discussions of how the federal No Child Left Behind Act might be derailed by states unhappily tied to the law’s dictates. Includes the story "Top State Lawyer's Analysis."
Education
Vote Sought on Public School ‘Exodus’
Sitting in a wing chair inside his modest brick house—an American flag fluttering out front—T.C. Pinckney explains why he is petitioning the Southern Baptist Convention to urge Christian parents to remove their children from public schools.
Education
Report Roundup
- School-to-Work Efforts Fall Short, Report Says
- Budget Cuts
- Behavioral Medications
- Copyright Violations
States
Minn. Senate Democrats Dump Yecke as Education Chief
Cheri Pierson Yecke has lost her job as Minnesota’s education commissioner.
Education
Supporting Teachers
In Finders and Keepers, Susan Moore Johnson profiles three teacher- induction programs that she says illustrate the kinds of support new teachers need to survive the first few years on the job. The schools featured are Brookline (Mass.) High School, Evanston (Ill.) Township High School, and Murphy Elementary School in Boston.
Teacher Preparation
Generation Gap
Today's new teachers need different kinds of career opportunities and support structures—and a team of researchers can prove it. Includes a table, "Supporting Teachers."
Education
Sharpen Those No. 2 Pencils
The SAT: Reasoning Test will be administered for the first time in March 2005, aimed at the high school class of 2006. The most significant change is the addition of a writing section, which will test students’ ability to write the first draft of a reasoned argument on the essay topic. The new PSAT, the preliminary test that students take as practice for the college-entrance exam, will be administered for the first time this October.
Education
Teaching Arabic
Few U.S. public schools teach Arabic. Of those known to do so, many are in Michigan, which has a large Arab-American population.
Education
News in Brief: A Washington Roundup
- Treasury Tax Credits to Aid Charter Schools
- House Panel Reauthorizes Assistive-Technology Program
Education
News in Brief: A National Roundup
- Oklahoma District Settles Lawsuit Over Head Scarf
- Georgia District Hopes to End Segregated Community Proms
- Senator Moving to Withhold Money for D.C. Schools
- Wis. District Given Reprieve on Songs Copied Onto Prom CDs
- Complaint Alleges Md. District Biased Against Black Students
- Former Mich. School Official Pleads Guilty to Racketeering
- Texas Teachers Are Suspended for Showing Video of Beheading
Equity & Diversity
Equality Goals Remain Unmet, NAACP Argues
Civil rights and education leaders who gathered here to mark the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka presented sobering evidence that its promises of educational equality have not been met.